1985 Land Rover Defender 90

First registered on the 1st of August 1985, this lovely Land Rover Defender has been recently refreshed, the £3,800 bill from Masai 4x4 for new tinted glass and interior trim being money well-spent as it has brought this iconic beast slap-bang up to date.

And yet, even that hefty sum was only for the cosmetic items because a new galvanised chassis was fitted too, which added another £2,000 plus almost £3,000 labour to the bill.

New Puma doors, a three-piece clutch, a fuel tank, Terrafirma springs and dampers, bushes, turrets and the like added another £4,600 and the autumn of 2021 saw a further £5,600 spent on miscellaneous items including new brakes, wiring looms, and timing chains.

That’s a hefty investment in 2021 alone – and there are plenty of bills for work prior to that…

Up for sale because he’s run out of space, this is your chance to get your hands on a British icon that’s had a lot of money spent on all the right bits and in all the right places.

Finished in black and fitted with a set of flared wheelarches to cover the huge wheels and tyres, the plethora of off-road accessories give this Defender the sort of presence you might come to appreciate if things continue to deteriorate this winter.

Muscular and purposeful, the overall condition of the bodywork is pretty darned good for an old Landy. While many wear their dents and shabby paintwork boastfully, this one wears its warpaint proudly; aging gracefully, it’s still utterly fit for purpose and as gorgeous as hell.

Front ‘Lynx Eye’ LED headlamps, four roof-mounted rectangular lights, and a set of massive Wipac spotlights give the Defender better eyesight that it ever had when it was new, and new tinted windows add an air of menace while simultaneously giving the occupants an element of privacy, a situation that’s the rear window protectors help.

There’s a heated windscreen too, plus a new rear screen. New seals were fitted at the same time, of course.

There’s a neatly executed side-exit exhaust poking out from the nearside rear quarter just in front of the wheel. There’s also a pair of galvanised rock sliders to protect the sills and a rear NAS rear bumper and height-adjustable towbar on the back.

Off-road specific parts include a front-mounted Warrior S9500 winch fitted with synthetic rope, a hefty engine sump guard from ProTrac, and a front differential guard to match the one on the back axle.

Of course, the star of the show is the external roll cage, which surrounds the vehicle’s entire bodyshell and provides a neat mounting point for the four high-level rectangular spotlights. Bolted to the chassis as it should be, it’s a tough as it is handsome.

There’s snorkel too, in case you feel the need to ford rivers and floods (and trust us, you will…)

Chequer-plate on the front wings gives you a place to put your mug of tea, while the galvanised rock sliders give protection as well as a place to boost yourself up and into the raised cabin.

A set of five BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres boast the sort of tread depth that’s measured in inches rather than millimeters, while the subtle black steel wheels – including a matching spare on the back - are exactly the sort of thing you’d hope to find your Defender sitting on.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Problems depend on your attitude towards a working patina. The front doors are upgraded Puma ones, which fit better than the originals but do highlight the bubbling that’s breaking out on the wings (i.e. #93) either side of them.

There’s a small area of damage to the rear bed too (#83), but all of this is very much nice-to-do rather than essential.

The front seats are a pair of new refurbished jobbies with a matching armrest/cubbybox. Plump and supportive, they’re way more comfortable than the slab-like factory seats it left Solihull with.

The Momo Corse steering wheel is also much nicer to hold than the standard wheel while also giving the driver some much-needed extra legroom.

The interior also benefits from additional soundproofing, which was fitted during its refresh. Not only there to cut down ambient noise, it also allows the new Pioneer speakers in the rear to flourish. A new headlining and sound insulation in the roof further help cut down noise and condensation.

There’s an inclinometer on the top of the dashboard to tell you how close you are to rolling it, and some heavy-duty floor covering underfoot which would be easy to clean if your passenger expresses their discomfort at your off-road antics in a brown trouser kind of way.

(There’s a CB radio too, so you’ll need to think of a handle for yourself before you collect it.)

A half-height bulkhead behind the seats separates the driver and passenger from a load space finished in a utilitarian cloth with a rubber floor, making it ideal for carrying loads as well as the odd mate or two on short journeys.

As you’d expect given the extensive work that was carried out in 2021, the Defender starts and drives as it should. The 300TDI engine had its compression tested and was found to be okay. The drive belts, pulleys and waterpump were changed too, and it was tweaked to enrich the fuel. This means it is “very reactive now” to drive but does give a puff of mixture-rich black smoke on first start-up.

The chassis work included new brakes, seals, bushes, and fluids in addition to the uprated suspension kit.

The engine bay has been neatly dressed with plenty of blue silicone hoses, and it’s pretty clean overall into the bargain. There is a tiny spot of surface rust on the bulkhead that could do with being addressed, but the seller tells us that it is superficial and very limited.

The paint on the new galvanised chassis gleams, as well it might given how much it cost. The axles were shot-blasted and painted too, which further lifts this already great underside.

The Defender’s MOT certificate, which is valid until December 2022, was gained with no advisory points.

It comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a wad of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment to come and see it here at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon.

If the previous twelve months has taught us anything, it’s that the world is a less predictable place than we ever thought – and that the zombie apocalypse we all used to laugh about isn’t looking quite so unlikely anymore…

And there are few better vehicles to face an uncertain world in than a well-prepared Land Rover Defender like this.

Described as “very up together” by the seller, it is fitted with the tough, durable and economical 300TDI diesel engine, and its indefatigable nature and well-judged off-road modifications mean it’s as much at home pottering around the city as it would be scaling mountains with your family aboard and a grab bag lashed down in the back.

And, with a guide price of somewhere between £16,000 and £25,000, the lower estimate is less than it’s had spent on it last year, which means you’re essentially getting the Defender for free…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.